SEVERAL ITCs and
ticketing agents have
been left out of pocket
after a travel agent in Mossel
Bay allegedly approached
them, asking them to ticket
on her behalf, only to provide
them with fraudulent credit
card details, resulting in hefty
ADM charges.
One ticketing agent, who fell
victim to the scam, told TNW
the agent – Bets Olivier – sent
her signed credit card charge
forms (CCCF) forms as well as
copies of the front and back
of credit cards for her clients’
bookings. However, soon the
ADMs started to pile up for
unpaid transactions as there
were insufficient funds on the
cards provided. The agent is
now facing over R300 000 in
ADMs.
“In my 34 years in travel I
have never had a problem of
any kind. Bets has ruined my
reputation. She has left me
– the sole breadwinner in my
household – with no money to
pay necessities like rent and
electricity,” the agent said.
Forty-five charges of fraud
have been laid against Bets,
according to local reports. She
was arrested in October this
year following a raid on her
agency, which saw the police
confiscate her computer. Bets
was released on bail, but
has since closed her doors.
At the time of print, she was
expected to appear in court on
December 10. Bets could not
be reached for comment.
How to avoid getting
caught
With the explosion of ITCs in
the market, ticketing hosts are
jumping on the bandwagon as
ticketing for ITCs is seen as
an additional revenue stream,
says Franz Von Wielligh, gm
of Flightspecials. However,
experience and tight controls
are required for this kind of
business, he says. “Rogue
agents will exploit lack of
controls, not only to the
detriment of the ticketing
agent, but also clients and the
industry as a whole.”
It’s not a good idea for
a small ITC to become a
consolidator and to start
ticketing for other agents,
agrees Dinesh Naidoo,
group operations director of
Serendipity Worldwide Group.
“If you go that route, you need
to understand that you’ll be
carrying the risk if something
goes wrong.”
It is important to have a
proper contract in place with
both the consortium and the
business for which you are
ticketing, says Advocate Louis
Nel. “Put together a formal
ticketing agreement outlining
responsibilities and ensure
that suitable processes and
indemnities are included.”
Ticketing agents should
also always follow Iata’s rules
regarding credit card payment.
“Most ADMs can be avoided if
the ticketing host requests the
credit card authorisation code
from the bank and adheres to
the signed CCCF policy,” says
Franz.
Suppliers are a good source
of information and travel
agents can check with them
whether they have dealt with
the ITC before and whether
they have experienced any
problems, adds Franz. No
matter how reliable the ITC
seems though, it is important
to stick to the ticketing rules.
“If there are constant excuses
why CCCFs can’t be sent, cut
the agreement short,” advises
Franz.
“After the first unpaid amount,
stop all transactions. Don’t let
greed get in the way of better
judgement,” Louis adds.
The first sign of fraud is
when tickets are paid by a
third party, says Dinesh. He
adds, however, that if agents
accept these payments, they
need to make sure that they
obtain the relevant third-party
authorisation forms.
If an ITC is ticketing for
another agent, the ITC will
need to obtain clearance with
regard to credit limits from the
consortium through which they
are dealing. “Make sure you
check which credit application
forms need to be completed,
on any limits the consortium
may place on such credit, and
on any policies and procedures
it may have,” says Louis.
If an agent becomes a victim
of fraud, they should apply
disciplinary procedures against
the perpetrator, if only for the
purposes of insurance claims,
says Louis. “Criminal charges
must also be lodged with the
SA Police Service.”
